Lina Zeldovich is an award-winning journalist whose stories have appeared in Popular Science, Smithsonian, The New York Times, National Geographic and Reader’s Digest, among other publications. Her previous book, “The Other Dark Matter: The Science and Business of Turning Waste Into Wealth and Health,” has been optioned for a TV series. Her new book, “The Living Medicine: How a Lifesaving Cure Was Nearly Lost—and Why It Will Rescue Us When Antibiotics Fail,” was released from St. Martin’s Press in October 2024.
Lina Zeldovich
Freelance journalist and editor
From this contributor
Sniffing out the mysteries of olfaction
A background in physics, and his own curiosity, have helped Dmitry Rinberg tackle the complexities of the neuroscience of smell.
Now hiring: What autistic people need to succeed in the workplace
Autistic adults have more job opportunities than they used to, and a small neurodiverse workforce is thriving — but mainly at select companies that invest heavily in such employees.
Now hiring: What autistic people need to succeed in the workplace
By
Lina Zeldovich
4 March 2020 | 17 min read
How history forgot the woman who defined autism
Grunya Sukhareva characterized autism nearly two decades before Austrian doctors Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger. So why did the latter get all the credit?
How history forgot the woman who defined autism
By
Lina Zeldovich
7 November 2018 | 13 min read
The evolution of ‘autism’ as a diagnosis, explained
From a form of childhood schizophrenia to a spectrum of conditions, the characterization of autism in diagnostic manuals has a complicated history.
The evolution of ‘autism’ as a diagnosis, explained
By
Lina Zeldovich
9 May 2018 | 7 min read
Why the definition of autism needs to be refined
Five years after its latest revision, the manual used to diagnose autism is back under scrutiny, as evidence suggests it excludes some people on the spectrum.
Why the definition of autism needs to be refined
By
Lina Zeldovich
9 May 2018 | 14 min read
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PIEZO channels are opening the study of mechanosensation in unexpected places
The force-activated ion channels underlie the senses of touch and proprioception. Now scientists are using them as a tool to explore molecular mechanisms at work in internal organs, including the heart, bladder, uterus and kidney.
PIEZO channels are opening the study of mechanosensation in unexpected places
The force-activated ion channels underlie the senses of touch and proprioception. Now scientists are using them as a tool to explore molecular mechanisms at work in internal organs, including the heart, bladder, uterus and kidney.
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Calli McMurray
30 January 2026 | 6 min read
Latest iteration of U.S. federal autism committee comes under fire
The new panel “represents a radical departure from all past rosters,” says autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg.
Latest iteration of U.S. federal autism committee comes under fire
The new panel “represents a radical departure from all past rosters,” says autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg.
By
Angie Voyles Askham
29 January 2026 | 9 min read
‘Tour de force’ study flags fount of interneurons in human brain
The newly discovered cell type might point to the origins of the inhibitory imbalance linked to autism and other conditions.
‘Tour de force’ study flags fount of interneurons in human brain
The newly discovered cell type might point to the origins of the inhibitory imbalance linked to autism and other conditions.
By
Holly Barker
29 January 2026 | 4 min read